Costello readily acknowledges he plans to run for mayor following his council service. We would recommend that the best way for someone in his position to reach the big office on the third floor at City Hall is to be the best at-large councilman he can be if elected to a third two-year term.

I guess CM Costello becomes the first declared 2015 Mayoral candidate. He better start voting in Dem Party primaries.

San Luis punched their ticket to the NLCS last night. Last year San Luis retired the Numero 10. Who wore the Numero 10?

Here is another exercise in exercising. RNC Hispanics and AG Abbott and former State Rep. Errant Pena are putting together a GOP outreach to Latinos voters – YAWN!

It is about issues. It is about immigration reform. It is about health care. It is about voting rights.

Commentary received a Zeph Capo for HCC mailer yesterday.

Forty years ago today Vice-President Spiro Agnew resigned.

Tony La Russa of course wore the Numero 10 for San Luis.

Here is from the ‘Stros website:

Astros owner Jim Crane said last week the team would be in position to increase its payroll next year, and on Tuesday he provided the first indication of just how much money could be spent on players in 2014.

Crane said the Astros’ payroll, which was at about $13 million to end the season, could be between $50-60 million next year regardless of whether the club is able to settle its dispute with television partner Comcast.

Of course, these folks still have to plunk down the filing fee when the time comes.

The NL All Star Team has won 43 games, the AL All Star Team has won 38 games, and there have been two ties of course.

Here is the deal. A bunch of GOP members of the U.S. House of Representatives don’t have very many Latinos in their districts so they don’t feel they have to support immigration reform. Some far right wing GOPers even go on to say that pathway to citizenship means more Dem voters in the future. I’m betting we won’t get immigration reform legislation. We’ll just have to go another election cycle where Latino voters come out and heavily support Dem candidates and further cement the Latino community and Dem Party bond. Hey, they asked for it!

Jarred Cosart has been called up and will make his MLB starting pitcher debut at Tampa Bay tomorrow night. They needed to make the move for a club with a 32-59 record.

Name the former ‘Stros skipper born on the Fourth of July? HINT: His record managing the ‘Stros was 254-232 including a NL Manager of the Year Award.

A Happy Birthday to Malia Obama today!

Seventy-four years ago today Lou Gehrig called himself “the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.”

Commentary will check out the Hot Dog Eating Contest later on today on ESPN2.

Commentary also suggests you go to the Chron editorial page and check out the Declaration of Independence in its entirety. It is still a good read.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus said yesterday that they had not endorsed the Senate passed immigration reform bill. That’s probably a good thing since I’m hearing more Latino groups have a problem with the measure in its current form. It is more walls and more of the militarization of the border.

Former ‘Stros skipper Hal Lanier is celebrating his 71st BD today of course!

Chris Carter and his solo dinger and his three-run dinger was all we needed last night.

Some folks will be heading to the Freedom Festival this afternoon and some will be heading to The Yard just after noon and some will do both.

One of Commentary’s favorite movie quotes is from “Godfather, II” when Rocco says about whacking Hyman Roth it would be “difficult, not impossible.”

That’s kind of my thought regarding 2014 and the chances of winning statewide in 2014 instead of waiting for osmosis to do the job in 2020 or beyond. There is such a thing as the GOP in Texas overplaying their hand. Commentary mentioned last week the GOP’s effort to stop immigration reform and the Latino vote. The GOP isn’t invincible.

Another favorite movie quote is from “Field of Dreams” and Shoeless Joe saying "if you build it, he will come.”

Commentary caught State Sen. Wendy Davis on “Meet the Press” and “This Week” yesterday as she continues to get national media run. In my humble opinion she’s prime time.

A Politico piece this past Friday said Team Davis was reviewing their options. Here are parts:

A statement to POLITICO Friday from Matt Angle, director of the Democratic political firm Lone Star Project and a Davis strategist, provided more clarity about a potential statewide bid — and it could come sooner than later.

“Right now, she and her team, in collaboration with the Lone Star Project, are looking very closely at the dynamics in Texas and the circumstances coming together for 2014,” Angle wrote.

“Working closely with the Lone Star Project, Senator Davis’ team is pulling together the information needed in terms of financial commitments and voter attitudes to make an informed decision on statewide prospects,” he added. “Certainly, the events over the last week or so show a groundswell in Texas. We have to see if it all adds up to a statewide campaign.”

This past weekend Ross Ramsey of the Texas Tribune assessed the chances of a Davis run for governor in 2014. I have pulled a few of his lines:

She would almost certainly lose.

And:

Davis would probably be defeated in a statewide race.

And:

A bettor would have to go with the Republicans.

And:

But if she doesn’t run for governor now, it’s not because it’s a tough time for Democrats — it’s because she doesn’t want to be governor. She’ll never get a better shot.

And how about this:

Vexing the Republicans, frankly, is a quality she shares with none of the Democrats who have run for governor of Texas since Ann Richards: She galvanizes her supporters and makes the other team crazy. Garry Mauro, Tony Sanchez Jr., Chris Bell and Bill White had varying combinations of money, experience, skill and leadership ability. Together, they had almost enough charisma for one candidate, which made them easier for Texans to disregard. Mauro got 31.2 percent of the vote; Sanchez got 40 percent; Bell, with two major independent candidates also in the race, got 29.8 percent; and White got 42.3 percent.

The Chron also gave some run to 2014. It is only available to subscribers so here are parts:

A short-term victory for Texas Democrats: doubtless. But that obscures a more important question: Will these events dramatically hasten the day when deep red Texas is once again a politically competitive state? Or is Democratic talk of a "purple" Texas as soon as 2014 an early-summer fantasy fueled by the euphoria of the past week?

Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jillson warns Democrats not to be swept away by "Wendy-mania."

"The events of the past week have certainly amped up the energy in Texas politics, but the changes required to turn Texas purple, let alone blue, will still be a decade or more in coming," Jillson said.

Indeed, a Houston Chronicle analysis of election data from 2000 to 2012 found that demographic shifts toward an ever-increasing minority population will only take Democrats so far. The study, conducted last November, found that if current demographic and voting trends continue, Texas will become a politically competitive state in 2020 and a true toss-up in 2024.

The study assumes no spike in registration or turnout among Texas Latinos or a shift among minority voters either away from or toward the GOP. It also assumes that independent swing voters will not dramatically shift from their current Republican leanings.

And:

"Democrats should save their champagne for New Year’s because there’s no reason for them to celebrate," said Vincent Harris, a GOP consultant who directed the social media efforts of Ted Cruz’s 2012 U.S. Senate campaign.

Harris said the week’s events "made a star out of Wendy Davis," but he added that it also "galvanized the large pro-life community in the state and Texas conservatives like hadn’t been done since Ted Cruz’s election."

And:

"Lots of very red states – Georgia, Mississippi, Montana – elect the occasional Democrat," said Jillson, "so it is possible in Texas, too."

Commentary thinks Sen. Davis would beat Guv Dude.

Let me repeat what Rodd Ramsey said:

But if she doesn’t run for governor now, it’s not because it’s a tough time for Democrats — it’s because she doesn’t want to be governor. She’ll never get a better shot.

"If you build it, he will come.” Stay tuned!

Speaking of baseball movies, the Durham Bulls are the Rays’ Triple A affiliate of course.

Commentary snagged foul ball numero 5 Saturday night.

Just in case you are wondering, we have five interleague games remaining on the schedule. We go to San Luis for two next week and host the Reds for three in September.

We’re a game over the halfway point in the season. We’re making way too many errors. We lost two this weekend because of errors.

38% of Texas’ population is Latino and yesterday U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz said a big “#*&^ you” to us when they voted against immigration reform. They can get away with it because we let them.

Last year Ted Cruz ran hard right when he whipped the Lite Guv in the GOP primary. Cruz didn’t have to tack back to the center because he ran against an unfunded Paul Sadler. Cruz is playing to his Tea Party base.

Sen. Cornyn is playing it “safe” by pandering to the Tea Party base that apparently controls the state’s GOP. The last thing Cornyn wants is a serious challenge by a Tea Party activist in next year’s GOP primary.

The immigration reform legislation now moves to the GOP controlled U.S. House. Commentary doesn’t feel confident the House will produce meaningful legislation. They don’t have to.

One could easily make the argument that the fiercest opposition to immigration reform in Congress is coming from Texas, a state with over nine and a half million Latinos.

We all know that immigration reform resonated with Latino voters during the 2012 presidential election. Immigration reform will resonate with Texas Latino voters in 2014 if fully engaged. When that happens we will then see immigration reform move forward.

The Angels are in town. When was the last time they made it to the post season?

Imagine a Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick. It could very well happen.

Imagine a slate of GOP statewide candidates all with major Tea Party credentials. That’s going to happen.

So what do we do in 2014?

I hope the folks that run the Democratic National Committee and Texas Democratic Party are working on a plan for Texas in 2014 that involves more than targeting a couple of state house seats.

The Lite Guv put the blame on "Obama-style" protesters for what happened the other night at the filibuster. Now I know what “Obamacare” is. What the heck is “Obama-style?”

The last time the Angels were in the post season was in 2009 of course when they got beat by the Yankees in six in the ALCS.

These guys are in total control of the process. It doesn’t surprise me that Sen. Patrick won’t own up.

How many dingers did Carlos Beltran have for the ‘Stros during the 2004 post season?

It looks like the Voting Rights Act got gutted today by the Supremes. Check this from Politico:

The Supreme Court Tuesday struck down a key part of the Voting Rights Act, ruling unconstitutional a provision of the landmark civil rights legislation used to promote the political power of minority voters across large swaths of the southern United States for nearly four decades.

In a 5-4 ruling that split the court along ideological lines, the court freed some or all of 15 states from the requirement that all changes to voting laws, procedures and even polling place locations get advance approval from the Justice Department or a panel of federal judges.

This is still a developing story but I am thinking for now it is open season for Latino and African American voters in the Lone Star State. I am also thinking that Guv Dude, the Lite Guv, and the AG will be huddling pretty soon to see how they can stick it to us. Watch your arses!

Well at least Dems can say that the GOP are taking away our voting rights and that ought to help us at the polls.

Carlos Beltran had eight dingers during the 2004 post season of course – four in the NLDS and four in the NLCS.

From the Chron Sports Section:

The Astros lead MLB in errors (60) and are ranked last in defensive efficiency (.674). The club’s tied for 26th out of 30 teams in fielding percentage (.980). … Carlos Correa is hitting .321 with four homers, 45 RBIs and an .852 OPS for low Class A Quad Cities. The No. 1 pick of the 2012 draft is 20-for-41 in his last 10 games.

I am sure we will get more specific details in the coming days and weeks. It sounds like nobody wanted to tear the Dome down so they are just going to clean it up and hope that some folks will want to rent it for events. We will see.

A lot of folks are saying a lot of nice things about James Gandolfini today. I was shocked when My Best Friend texted me with the news. I am still stunned.

The ‘Stros signed number one draft pick Mark Appel yesterday. Appel went to Stanford. Name the ‘Stro who also attended Stanford who saw limited action in two games of the 2005 World Serious?

This should not surprise any of us. This is the kind of red meat his base loves. Check this from the Chron:

In a radio interview with Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday, Sen. Ted Cruz warned that the Gang of Eight immigration plan would prompt a flood of illegal immigration — 20 million or 30 million undocumented workers within the next decade or two.

When asked by the conservative commentator why Democrats support the Gang of Eight bill, the freshman Republican from Houston said that it is pure politics and that it is a way to create more Democratic voters.

As for the Republican support of the bill, Sen. Cruz said that a lot of the reasoning is political as well. After 2012, many of the political consultants advised that that the way to do better with Hispanic votes is for Republicans to embrace amnesty. Cruz called that political argument “complete nonsense” and said that Washington consultants want “Republicans give up our principles and become Democrats” when it comes to immigration, abortion, and gay marriage.

The H-Town City Council voted yesterday to give seniors a little property tax relief. That’s politics!

The Big Jolly fella doesn’t think too much about the initiative to add a penny to our property taxes and put it into early childhood education programs. He makes some interesting points about how the program will be handled.